Policy Text
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
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2.9 Agency -Owned Property
2.9.5 Military Equipment Acquisition an d Use (Issued: 8/17/22 )
A. Purpose and Scope
The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance on the acquisition , use and reporting
requirements of military equipment .
B. Philosophy
The acquisition of military equipment and its use in the community affect public safety and
public welfare. The public has the right to be informed about the funding, acqu isition and
use of military equipment by local government entities and to participate in the decision -
making process of those entities to fund, acquire or use military equipment. Decisions on
whether or how military equipment will be funded, acquired or used shou ld strong ly
consider pu blic welfare , public safety, civil rights and civil liberties and be based on
meaningful public input.
C. Definition s
1. Governing Bod y: The elected or appointed body that oversees a law enforcement
agency
2. Military Equipmen t includes the following:
a. Unm anned, remotely -piloted, powered aerial or ground vehicles
b. Mine -resistant, ambush -protected (MRAP) vehicles or armored personnel
carriers , excluding police versions of standard consumer vehicles
c. High mobility, multipurpose, wheeled vehicles (HMMWV or “Humvees”),
two and one -half-ton trucks, five -ton trucks or wheeled vehicles with
breaching or entry apparatus attache d. Armored all -terrain vehicles (ATVs)
and motorized dirt bikes are excluded
d. Tracked, armored vehicles that provide ballistic protection to occupants
e. Command and control vehicles built or modified to facilitate the operational
control and direction of public safety units
f. Weaponized aircraft, vessels or vehicles of any kind
g. Battering rams, slugs and breaching apparatus es that are explosive in nature.
This does not include a handheld ram designed to be operated by one person
h. Firearms of 0.50 caliber or greater , excluding standard issue shotguns
i. Ammunition of 0.50 calib er or greater , excluding standard issue shotgun
ammunition
j. Specialized firearms and ammunition of less than 0.50 caliber, including
assault weapons as defined in PC §§ 30510 and 30515, with the exception
of standard issue service weapons and ammunition of less than 0.50 caliber
issued to officers, agents or employees of a law enforcement agency or state
agency
University of California, San Francisco
Police Department General Orders
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k. Any firearm or firearm accessory that is designed to launch explosive
projectiles
l. Noise -flash diversionary devices and explosive breaching t ools
m. Munitions containing tear gas or OC, excluding standard, service -issued ,
handheld pepper spray
n. Taser Shockwave, microwave weapons, water cannons and Long Range
Acoustic Device s (LRAD s)
o. 40 mm projectile, “bean bag,” rubber bullet and specialty impact munition
(SIM) weapon launch platform s and associated munitions
p. Any other equipment determined by a governing body or state agency to
require additional oversight as “military equipment .”
3. Military Equip ment Use Polic y: A publicly -released, written document governing
the use of a type of military equipment by a law enforcement agency or state
agency , that includes, at a minimum, all of the following:
a. Description of the type of military equipment , quantity sought by the a gency
and the expected lifespan and manufacturer description of the equipment
b. Purpose and authorized uses of the equipment
c. Fiscal impact, including the initial cost of obtaining the equipment and
annual maintenance cost s
d. Legal and procedural rule s governing authorized use of the equipment
e. Training that must be completed before personnel are allowed to use the
equipment to ensure full protection of public welfare, safety, civil rights and
civil liberties and adherence to the equipment use policy
f. Mechanisms to ensure compliance with the use policy , including wh ich
independent persons or entities have oversight authority and, if applicable,
legally -enforceable sanctions for violations of the policy
g. Procedure by which members of the public ma y register
complaints/concerns or submit questions about the use of the military
equipment and which ensures the Department will respond to each
complaint, concern or question in a timely manner.
4. State Agency : The law enforcement division of every California state office,
officer, department, division, bureau, board, commission or other body or agency,
except as provided for in Article IV (except for Section 20) or Article VI of the
California Constitution.
5. Type: Each item sharing the same manufacturer model number.
(Government Code § 7070)
D. Military Equipment Use Policy
1. The Chief of Police or his/her designee shall obtain approval for the Departmen t’s
military equipment use policy from the Regents of the University of California (UC
Regents) , in the form of an ordinance, prior to engaging in any of the following:
a. Requesting military equipment pursuant to Title 10 of the US Code
§ 2576 (a)
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Police Department General Orders
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b. Seek ing funds for military equipment , including, but not limited to,
applying for a grant, soliciting or accepting private, local, state or
federal fund, in